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A Project Team made up of the Head of IT, Stephen Fryer,
supported by a small team of skilled Oracle developers
commenced a programme of work in accordance with the
Project Plan. Monthly meetings with the Pilot Provinces were
scheduled to take place to ensure that the project progressed
at a steady rate.
A module for submitting Annual Returns has now been
tried and tested in the Province of Surrey, and subsequently
is being tested in Hertfordshire and Somerset. A different
module, a process for considering Provincial honours, has
been tried in Hertfordshire, and is now being trialled in all
three Provinces.
It is anticipated that the modules identified above will be
completed, tested and ready by early 2007. A number of
further Provinces have already volunteered to be the next to
try and test the system.
A project programme is therefore being developed which
will identify the next Provinces to join the system, starting
with those who have already heard about the benefits of
Provincial ADelphi and wish to volunteer.
It is anticipated that as more Provinces see how the system
helps them, they will also wish to join. This process is designed
to ensure that when the system is fully operational, there are
not the same sorts of problems that have occurred in some
other national IT systems when they have been introduced!
Keith Gilbert, Provincial Grand Secretary of Hertfordshire,
following use of the first modules, commented: “Although we
already had an effective database, the introduction of ADelphi
has proved to be a first-class tool in enabling us to speed up
communication with the Brethren and with Grand Lodge.”
Bryan Craddock, Provincial Grand Secretary of Surrey,
said: “It is clear that Provincial ADelphi is the way ahead
and it is good to be working together with UGLE on such
a scheme”.
Graham Bowerman, Provincial Grand Secretary of
Somerset added: “I am pleased to report that the ADelphi
system is providing us with a firm basis for the administration
of the Province with easy access to up-to-date and accurate
details of all our members.”
In addition, Harry Barnes, Provincial Grand Master
of Dorset, who has started to look at the way it works,
commented: “I found the system very intuitive, flexible
and comprehensive.” All responses to date have been
very positive.
As well as work on Provincial Adelphi, the IT team have
been carrying out associated work on a festivals and donations
module for the Grand Charity on behalf of all the other
Masonic charities. In addition, there are plans afoot to develop
a system to allow payment of subscriptions and other monies
by direct debit through ADelphi.
This would enable charity donations to be made directly
to the Relief Chest and create a comprehensive system for
the collection of charitable donations from brethren.
The Provincial ADelphi system could, in time, be used
increasingly as a means of communication between individual
Lodges and their Provincial office or direct with Grand
Lodge. As the system develops and expands, the possibilities
are huge.
With the prospect of individual brethren communicating
direct with their Provincial leadership, and even Masonic
message boards etc., only time will tell where this will go!
Roger Carter is Director of Operations at Freemasons’ Hall
Three of the ADelphi team:
Stephen Fryer (IT Manager) left; Trevor Oates
(Senior Developer) standing right and (seated)
James Clary (Oracle database administrator)
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Copyright 2002-2007
MQ Magazine
Web site created by Mark Griffin
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